Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-14

is so weak and feels, he says so giddy, that
he is obliged to support himself by the backs
of the chairs as he passes them. The baron,
always considerate to persons of low degree,
offers his arm. 4 am afraid, my poor fellow
he says, that you are really ill., The courier
makes this extraordinary answer: It's all
over with me. sir; have caught my death
1.-The countess is naturally startled. You
are not an old man, she says, trying to rouse
the courier's spirits AT your age catching
cold doesn't surely mean catching your
deathr The courier fixes his eyes despair
ingly on the countess.
"'My lungs are weak, my lady, he says.
4 have already had two attacks of bron-
chitis. The second time great physician
joined my own doctor in attendance on mo.
He considered my recovery almost in the
light of miracle. Take care OF YOURSELF
he said IF you have a third attack of
bronchitis, as certainly as two and two make
four YOU will be dead man" feel the
same inward shivering, my lady, that l felt
on these two former occasions--and | tell
you again, | have caught my death in
Venice
Speaking some comforting words, the
baron leads him to his room. The countess
is left alone on the stage.
sShe seats herself, and looks toward the
door by which the courier has been led out.
All my poor fellow she says, If you could
only change constitutions with my lord what
happy result would follow for the baron
and for me! If you could only get cured of a
trumpery cold with a little hot lemonade.
and if he could only catch his death in your
| placer
| ''She suddenly paliSes-considers for awhile
| and springs TO her feet with a cry of tri-
| umphant surprise: the wonderful, the unpar-
alleled idea has crossed her mind like flash
| of lightning. Make the two men change
names and places, and the deed is donel
| Where are the obstaclesl Remove my lord
by fair means or foul-from his room and
keep him secretly prisoner in the palace, tc
live or die as future necessity may determine
Place the courier in the vacant bed and cal
in the doctor to see him-ill, in my lord:
character, and-if he dies-dying under my
lords name"
The manuscript dropped from Henry.
hands. A slckeniHg sense Of horror overpow
cred him. The question which had occurret
| at the close of the first act of the play as
sumed new and terrible interest now. Al
far as the scene of the countess sOilcquy, tn,
incidents of the second act had reflected tn
the events of his late brothers life as faith
fully as the incidents Of the first act Wa
the monstrous plot, revealed in the lines whcl
be had Just read the offspring of the countess
morbid imagination; or had she in this cas-
also deluded herself with the idea that sh
was inventing when she was really wrtin;
under the influence of her own guilty remen
brance of the past? II the latter interpreta
ton were the true one. he had just read til
narrative of the contemplated murder of hi
brother, planned in cold blood by woma
who was at that moment inhabiting the sam
house with him. While, to make the fatalit
complete, Agnes herself had innocently pr
vided the conspirators with the one man VIII
was fitted to be the passive agent of the
crime
Even the bare doubt that it might he s.
was more than he could endure He left b
room; resolved to force the truth out OF tt
countess, or to derounce her before Il
authorities as murdereSs at large.
Arrived at her door, he was met by pc
son just leaving the room The person W
the manager. He was hardly recognizabl
he looked and spoke like a man in u state
desperation.
"Oh, go in, if yoa like he said to Henr
Mark this, sir | am not superstitio
man; but l do begin to believe that Grim
carry their own curse with them, This hot
is under curse. What happens in the NOR
! ing2 We discover a crime co-.Ilitted in tt
q old days of the palace. The night comes al
n brings another dreadful event with it
c death; sudden and shocking death, in Il
r house. Go i'll, and see for YOURSELF l sha
A resign my situation, Mr.. Westwick; l cal
; contend with the fatalities that pursue Il
heren
"a Henry entered the room.
n Tue countess was stretched on her be
r. The doctor on one side and the chamberma
V on the other, were standing looking at he
l. From time to time, she drew heavy sterto
= Gus breath, like person oppressed in slee
s ing. is she likely to diei" Henry asked.
"She is dead" the doctor answered DEF
d of the rupture of blood vessel ON the brai
lie Those sounds that you hear are purely m
Y chanical-they may go on for hours"